Male Consort Upgrade System

by Usui Takumii

not mine, ckanda writes, beware bl. Total: 247 Chapters.

18. 161 to 170

The monarchs of several small Kingdoms added some rewards one after another, which were recorded by the ceremonial officials and loudly announced.

"Master Yan, Official Qin is going to return with a full load this time," Jiang Gan teased Yan Xiaojing.

"Yes," Grand Tutor You stroked his beard and smiled, "Official Qin is extraordinary."

Yan Xiaojing sighed heavily with a helpless expression and shook his head.

But other ministers could see the smile in his eyes. Master Yan was quite indulgent towards his son. However, thinking about it, who wouldn't like having a son as capable as Yan Caiqing. He was bold enough to trick even foreign monarchs, moreover so skillfully.

Yan Ge's gaze fell on Bai Shaobai, and after a moment, he slowly shifted it to Zou Xiangying. He clasped his fists together. "Please enlighten me."

Bai Shaobai and Zou Xiangying remained silent. Zou Xiangying took a few steps toward the center of the venue, while Bai Shaobai stood still at the side, making his intentions clear without words. The attendants presented Zou Xiangying's weapon, but he didn't take it.

"Please, Official Qin, enlighten us," Zou Xiangying said politely.

Yan Ge frowned unhappily and swung his sword back without even looking. The sword landed accurately in a palace maid's arms as he declared arrogantly. "Please!"

"Ha!" Zou Xiangying let out a deep shout and attacked Yan Ge's chest with his right fist. A strong gust of wind followed his strike, causing willow seeds to fly into the air for a moment before gently descending again after a certain distance.

What incredible speed and formidable strength! The audience unconsciously sat up, watching the two with concern.

Yan Ge calmly contracted his chest and bent his waist, then swiftly grabbed Zou Xiangying's wrist with his right hand, leveraging it to leap into the air. He appeared behind Zou Xiangying and kicked his spine with his right foot.

His movements were too fast, and Zou Xiangying seemed unable to react. The officials of Great Han couldn't see through the moves and smiled.

However, just as Yan Ge's heel was about to touch Zou Xiangying, the latter suddenly moved, extending his left arm like a thick and sturdy stick, swiftly rotating his robust body and swinging his left arm back, smashing into Yan Ge's leg.

"Ah!" Some ministers nervously exclaimed.

But Yan Ge didn't disappoint them. In a split second, he used the inertia to spin in mid-air, pressing his right palm on Zou Xiangying's shoulder and leaping up again, sweeping his left leg toward Zou Xiangying's waist. Zou Xiangying's counterattack missed, and he was struck on the leg, causing him to stagger a few steps forward.

However, he was evidently skilled. He managed to stabilize himself after two steps and quickly turned around to guard against Yan Ge's attack from behind.

Little did he know that Yan Ge was too fast. Just as Zou Xiangying turned sideways, he took a palm strike to the back. His expression changed slightly, but he withstood the blow and retaliated with a fierce fist attack against Yan Ge.

And so, Yan Ge and Zou Xiangying fought for about eighty moves. Yan Ge locked both of Zou Xiangying's wrists in his hands and looked towards Bai Shaobai, showing a polite and composed expression. "Master Bai, if you choose to forfeit—"

Huangfuyu Chen smiled gently while stroking his lips. It seemed like his beloved loved acting. What to do? Of course, he would accompany him to the end.

King Hei Zhentian, Bai Shaobai, and Zou Xiangying's expressions all changed. This was unacceptable!

Yan Ge managed to provoke both Bai Shaobai and Zou Xiangying. Bai Shaobai leaped forward, attacking Yan Ge's face and left arm.

Yan Ge had no choice but to release Zou Xiangying.

Zou Xiangying and Bai Shaobai looked at each other, and with a lightness technique, they rushed to the guards holding the weapons, and they both got a weapon.

Yan Ge seemed to be shocked by their momentum. Startled, he took a step back before picking up his own sword.

Huangfu Yuchen said nervously: "You three, remember to be measured."

Zou Xiangying and Bai Shaobai raised their swords and slashed at Yan Ge at the same time. The blades were bright white, and as they swung, they shone golden in the sun, looking both dazzling and sharp.

Yan Ge immediately raise his sword to resist.

The three of them fought for over two quarters of an hour. Bai Shaobai kicked Yan Ge, who fell to the ground and rolled before jumping up again. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.

Yan Xiaojing's face turned pale, almost getting up, but Jiang Gan held him down in time and whispered, "Master Yan, calm down, look at His Majesty."

Huangfu Yuchen's expression had also changed, but he remained calm.

Yan Xiaojing glared at Yan Ge.

Jiang Gan secretly laughed, knowing that Yan Caiqing would probably be scolded after the ceremony.

The ministers of Great Han were all nervous and solemn, and some couldn't help but look at the Emperor, hoping he would speak and end the competition soon.

Bai Shaobai and Zou Xiangying exchanged a glance, a satisfied smile flashing through their eyes.

"Official Qin, why don't we stop here," Bai Shaobai said with a tolerant expression.

Yan Ge snorted lightly, and moved forward with his sword, using elusive sword techniques to create numerous sword shadows. Bai Shaobai and Zou Xiangying felt surrounded by a high wall of sword energy and were surprised. They resisted with all their strength but could only exchange about thirty moves with Yan Ge. Soon, Yan Ge kicked Zou Xiangying away, while Bai Shaobai had a sword pointed at his neck.

"Who said we should stop?" Yan Ge smiled.

"You…you're not..?" Bai Shaobai looked surprised, "Just now… you already spat blood. Why do you still have such strong internal strength?"

Zou Xiangying also approached, clutching his abdomen as he looked at Yan Ge in disbelief.

"Huh?" Yan Ge was stunned, then showed a suddenly enlightened expression, "You mean just now? That wasn't blood. I ate a red fruit earlier, and I hadn't had time to swallow it. I almost choked on it when Master Bai kicked me just now, so I quickly spit it out."

Zou Xiangying and Bai Shaobai looked dumbfounded.

Everyone present: "…"

The ministers of Great Han desperately controlled their facial expressions, trying hard not to laugh. 'My goodness, Yan Caiqing, you are too talented!'

Hei Zhentian's face was extremely ugly.

At this moment, a palace maid reported, "The Crown Prince has arrived. Prince Jin has arrived."

Two handsome boys who looked seven or eight years old smiled as they stepped onto the stage. Yan Jin and the Crown Prince did not find Yan Ge at Tenglong Palace, so they guessed he was still here and came together.

"Greetings Father Emperor, Greetings Mother Empress."

"Rise." Huangfu Yuchen gestured for the two of them to take their seats.

The Crown Prince sat in the position of the Crown Prince, and Yan Jin sat beside him. The two of them looked around curiously, trying to figure out what had happened just now.

"The two noble emissaries from the Wei Kingdom have yielded," Huangfu Yuchen declared, "Reward Official Qin with two thousand taels of gold. The sparring session ends here—"

"Your Majesty!" Yan Ge wiped the corners of his mouth and quickly glanced at the pile of gold on his seat, restraining his excitement. "I dare to beg, I want to challenge four opponents at once."

Everyone was in an uproar.

Everyone including the ministers of Great Han felt somewhat anxious. ' Yan Caiqing, quit while you're ahead. What if you lose the next match? All your previous efforts will be in vain.'

However, Yan Xiaojing remained calm at this moment, lifting his tea cup and sipping leisurely, planning to settle accounts with his son after the ceremony!

The monarchs of the Wei, Liao, and Mai kingdoms had faint smiles, thinking this was perfect.

Huangfu Yuchen's face turned serious, "Official Qin, are you short of money recently?"

Yan Ge cupped his fists and replied earnestly, "Not hiding anything from Your Majesty, I am a bit short of money. Actually… it's because my wife spends too much money."

Yan Xiaojing sprayed out the tea in his mouth and coughed violently.

Huangfu Yuchen's brow twitched, and he sighed helplessly.

The Empress covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Jiang Gan, Luo Wei, Grand Tutor You, and the others couldn't hold back and laughed softly.

Yan Jin suddenly brightened up and leaned close to the Crown Prince's ear, "Don't show any emotions—Minister Qin is Papa."

The Crown Prince understood and remained composed.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at the sky and tried to bring up an excuse. "This weather—"

"Your Majesty," King Hui Mailong suddenly said loudly, "Since Minister Qin of your esteemed kingdom is in such high spirits, we are willing to accompany him."

"King Mailong," Huangfu Yuchen's expression was hesitant, "The other monarchs have been exposed to the sun for quite a while. In my opinion—"

"Not hiding anything from Your Majesty," Liao Chengyuan smiled, "This time, I brought some warriors with me, and they all want to learn from Minister Qin."

Huangfu Yuchen then nodded, "Since that's the case, I don't want to dampen the spirits of all the monarchs. I'll still offer four thousand taels of gold, and whoever wins gets to keep it. Minister Qin, if you can take on four opponents and win, the four thousand taels of gold will naturally be yours. If you lose, all the rewards you've received earlier will go into the national treasury."

"This…" Yan Ge hesitated for a while and finally said hesitantly, "I'll comply with the order."

King Hei Zhentian said, "Your Majesty Huangfu has set the example, so we should follow suit. I'll also offer four thousand taels of gold, and whoever wins, it belongs to them."

King Hui Mailong shouted loudly, "I'll also offer four thousand taels of gold, along with a pair of Phoenix Eye Sky Pearls."

King Liao Chengyuan said, "I'll offer four thousand taels of gold, along with a Deep Sea Rose Pearl."

…

Everyone could tell that this was a competition among the major kingdoms. The other monarchs only offered a thousand taels of gold each, merely for show.

After all the monarchs had made their offerings, Yan Xiaojing arched his hand towards the throne and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I offer three thousand taels of gold."

The foreign monarchs and ministers were somewhat surprised, subconsciously looking at Huangfu Yuchen to gauge his reaction. Could this official really be so wealthy? He couldn't be corrupt, right?

However, they saw Huangfu Yuchen nod slightly, his expression unchanged.

The other monarchs were surprised and whispered to each other, asking who Yan Xiaojing was and what background he had.

Someone in the know explained, "That is Yan Xiaojing, the Minister of Rites in Great Han Kingdom, and Yan Caiqing's father."

They all suddenly understood. No wonder. Yan Caiqing is so wealthy, it's no surprise that his father is wealthy too.

While Huangfu Yuchen's thoughts were elusive to the ministers of the Great Han Kingdom, and it was uncertain whether Yan Caiqing could win, Yan Xiaojing's words were like a secret signal. The ministers immediately summoned the ceremonial officials and told them how much they had offered. If they could collude with the Emperor and Yan Caiqing to trick the other kingdoms, why wouldn't they?

"Come here." Yan Jin waved to a ceremonial official and even stood up, saying, "I offer ten golden pearls."

Everyone burst into laughter.

The Little Crown Prince also spoke, "I offer a jade fan. It doesn't matter who wins; friendship comes first, and the competition is secondary."

Everyone nodded in approval, looking at the Little Crown Prince with admiration.

Then, King Hui Mailong turned to someone behind him and spoke with authority, "Alichang, you go."

Alichang, a burly man of almost two meters, with a face like a leopard, pressed his right hand against his right shoulder and bowed, walking to the center of the square.

Liao Chengyuan called, "Lia."

"Yes, Your Majesty." A woman dressed in a black dress stood up slowly. She was dressed like a palace maid, with a gloomy aura around her that made people feel uneasy.

Hei Zhentian called out, "Gong Zhili."

Gong Zhili exuded a fierce aura, indicating he was not someone to be underestimated.

King Wei Lie said, "Alan."

Alan was short, not as strong as Alichang and the other three, and seemed like an ordinary person. At first glance, no one would think he possessed any martial skills.

Alichang, Lia, Gong Zhili, and Alan stood in a row and paid their respects to Huangfu y, saying, "Emperor Huangfu Yuchen."

"Four esteemed emissaries, no need for formalities," Huangfu Yuchen said, "You may just go through the motions; there's no need to get tense."

"Understood!"

The four surrounded Yan Ge in a coordinated manner.

"Baby, these four are all skilled, and shouldn't be underestimated. Be careful," Huangfu Yuchen transmitted to Yan Ge.

"Don't worry," Yan Ge said confidently.

He effortlessly faced off against the four men, handling them with ease.

These four were undoubtedly formidable experts by the fact that the four monarchs selected them. However, they quickly sensed Yan Ge's ease and comfort, which astonished them, and they looked at each other in disbelief.

"Father, that Official Qin seems very relaxed," Liao Xueyin whispered to Liao Chengyuan.

Liao Chengyuan maintained his composure, even if things didn't go well, as a powerful monarch, he couldn't show displeasure on his face. "It seems that things with Prince Dai are not going well either."

Liao Xueyin nodded slightly, her gaze drifting towards Huangfu Yuhu who was watching the martial arts competition. In her eyes, Prince Dai's appearance was not inferior to Emperor Huangfu Yuchen, but like Emperor Huangfu Yuchen, he showed no interest in her beauty, which deeply hurt her pride and self-esteem.

Alichang and the others felt that they were going to lose.

Lia temporarily withdrew from the battle circle and bowed to the audience, saying, "Emperor Huangfu Yuchen, my expertise lies in hidden weapons. I wonder…"

Liao Chengyuan reprimanded, "Lia, you must not be impolite!"

"No worries," Yan Ge smiled. "Since there's a prize at stake, it's only fair for Lady Lia to use her true skills. However, since this competition is limited to a certain number of moves, we should restrict the number of hidden weapons she uses. What do the esteemed monarchs think?"

Hui Mailong, Liao Chengyuan, and the others all nodded.

"You have a point."

Huangfu Yuchen said, "In that case, Lady Lia can use a maximum of twenty hidden weapons."

"Yes!" Lia responded and without anyone noticing her hand movements, two hidden weapons shot towards Yan Ge.

Yan Ge used his sword to deflect them and with a "ding", the two hidden weapons were pinned to a tree trunk.

Alichang and the other two seized the opportunity to attack, but Yan Ge held his ground firmly, leaving no room for any vulnerabilities.

Lia launched her hidden weapons again. Both hands moved continuously, and dozens of hidden weapons shot through the air with a whoosh.

Yan Ge still deflected them with his sword and Lia realized that the direction in which the hidden weapons flew was the same. When she looked in that direction, her expression changed. Yan Ge had formed her twenty hidden weapons into the shape of the character "天" (heaven).

Yan Ge estimated that around a hundred and twenty or so moves had passed. His figure moved rapidly and unpredictably, and when he finally stood still, Lia and the others had been immobilized with their acupoints sealed, motionless like statues, each in a different pose.

The audience was astonished.

"Four esteemed envoys, you've been lenient." Yan Ge grinned as he clasped his hands together.

Huangfu Yuchen laughed heartily, "Official Qin, your martial arts have improved significantly. Now, please release the acupoints of the four esteemed envoys."

"Of course." Yan Ge pressed the acupoints of the four, then clasped his fists, handed the sword to an attendant, and returned to his seat. He surreptitiously glanced at the note recording the total amount of gold.

Yan Xiaojing glanced at Yan Ge, then turned away and didn't look at him again.

Hui Mailong, Liao Chengyuan, Hei Zhentian, and Wei Lie looked at each other with great astonishment. Just who was this Official Qin? His martial arts were unexpectedly formidable. The four top experts couldn't defeat him even when they teamed up!

However, this competition was just an episode, and not their ultimate purpose in coming to Great Han Kingdom. After adjusting their emotions, they regained their composure.

They realized that the roundabout approach they took with Emperor Huangfu didn't work at all; it was better to be direct.

"Your Majesty Huangfu," Hui Mailong said, "we have come from afar not only to congratulate Your Majesty but also for another reason."

"Oh?" Huangfu Yuchen said, "I'm all ears."

Hui Mailong looked around and finally fixed his gaze on Huangfu Yuchen. With a strong demeanor, he said, "Great Han Kingdom has been flourishing under Your Majesty's governance and the talented Yan Caiqing. Whether it's pens, delicacies, beautiful garments, or bicycles, I won't elaborate on them all. Especially the invention of cement, which has earned great praise. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks about it?"

Huangfu Yuchen nodded, "This is my fortune."

"I have a request." Hui Mailong continued.

Huangfu Yuchen's ink-black eyes narrowed, but his expression remained unchanged. "King Mailong can speak his mind."

"I would like to invite Yan Caiqing to visit the Mai Kingdom as a guest and seek his advice on our kingdom's development," Hui Mailong said.

Huangfu Yuchen's mind seemed to race at lightning speed. Hui Mailong's words sparked an idea in his mind—He had always been unable to figure out why the Centipede Organization wanted to capture his beloved. Now, he suddenly had a thought: Could it be that the Centipede Organization wanted to capture his baby to exploit his talents?

The ministers of Great Han showed grim expressions upon hearing Hui Mailong's words.

Hui Mailong seemed not to notice and continued, "We have majestic mountains and rivers, diverse cultures, especially in spring, there is lush grass and singing birds, creating exceptionally beautiful scenery. I believe Yan Caiqing would enjoy it there. Also, forgive me for amusing you; I actually have a new male consort who is the same age as Yan Caiqing. They would surely get along well."

No one believed his words. Hui Mailong was almost sixty years old, and if he liked men, he would have had several male consorts when he was young instead of waiting until now.

Hui Mailong continued to prattle self righteously, and Huangfu Yuchen's lips curved into a cold smile.

Hui Mailong remained unfazed. He dared to speak like this because he had something to rely on. Although Great Han Kingdom had indeed developed well, its strength was only above average among the dozens of kingdoms in the surrounding area. If he increased the troops at the border between the two kingdoms, he could frighten Huangfu Yuchen and force him to make concessions for the sake of his people, even if he cherished Yan Caiqing.

"Your Majesty, you have indeed put me in a difficult situation," Huangfu Yuchen said calmly. "Yan Ge is my beloved. How could I bear to send him to the Mai Kingdom?"

Yan Ge leaned on the table and raised his head in bewilderment, "Yuchen, did you call me?"

All foreigners looked at Yan Ge in unison. Yuchen? Wasn't that Emperor Huangfu Yuchen's given name? What was the relationship between this Official Qin and the emperor? How could he dare to address him directly by his name in public?

"Xiao Ge, is that you?"

Yan Ge seemed to have just remembered the situation. He stood up, tore off the disguise on his face, and smiled, "Your Majesty, forgive me. I got bored inside the hall, so I came out for a casual look."

Huangfu Yuchen didn't mind, "Hmm. And where is Official Qin?" Of course, there was no Official Qin, but since they were acting, there couldn't be any flaws.

He and Yan Ge understood each other perfectly. "He is resting in the side hall."

Hui Mailong and Liao Chengyuan stood up in surprise, looking at Yan Ge in disbelief. Could it be that he was the renowned Yan Caiqing?

Yan Ge walked to the center of the square with a smile, bowing to Hui Mailong and the others, "Respected monarchs, I apologize for any previous offenses. I hope you can forgive me."

All envoys carefully scrutinized him and immediately understood why Emperor Huangfu Yuchen favored him. Not only was he talented, but he also possessed outstanding looks, with a smiling expression that was highly endearing.

A consort has such exceptional martial arts skills! Hui Mailong and Liao Chengyuan were still in shock.

Hei Zhentian had to speak on their behalf, " Yan Caiqing, you're too modest."

"Earlier, it seemed that all the monarchs mentioned someone named Yan," Yan Ge asked knowingly.

Hui Mailong dared not bring up the previous topic again. This Yan Caiqing's martial arts were unfathomable; if they were to take him to the Mai Kingdom, he probably wouldn't even know how he died. Now that he thought about it, Yan Caiqing might have been already guessed his plan, so he put on this act. Not only did he calmly take away tens of thousands of gold from them, but he also used his profound martial arts to express his attitude.

Hui Mailong's Grand Tutor He spoke up, "Please forgive me Your Majesty Huangfu and Yan Caiqing. Our emperor heard that Yan Caiqing appreciates beautiful scenery, so he boldly extended the invitation. However, Great Han Kingdom currently needs Yan Caiqing and I'm sure he is occupied."

Yan Ge stood with his hands behind his back, Looking elegant and suave, "I see. Xiguan Pass is under the Qiongshan Mountain. The sky is like a vast expanse, covering the four wildernesses. The sky is boundless, the wild is vast, and the flying grass reveals cattle and sheep. Mai has more grasslands than Xiguan Pass, so I imagine the scenery is even more beautiful. I thank the king of the Mai Kingdom for the gracious invitation. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely visit to appreciate the grassland scenery."

Hui Mailong said solemnly, "You are welcome."

Some civil officials quietly repeated, "Xiguan Pass is under the Qiongshan Mountain. The sky is like a vast expanse, covering the four wildernesses. The sky is boundless, the wild is vast, and the flying grass reveals cattle and sheep… What beautiful verses!"

"Only a few lines depict the abundance and grandeur of the grassland at the border. The atmosphere is magnificent. These are indeed beautiful verses!"

Yan Ge returned to the table.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Earlier, King Mailong used the term 'we.' Do the other monarchs have a second reason for this visit?"

Although displaying his personal strength impressed the monarchs, it wouldn't deter them from pursuing their goals. They still had things to discuss.

Liao Chengyuan said, "Indeed. We have come for cement. We hope His Majesty Huangfu can open up foreign trade for your kingdom's cement." He didn't fear Emperor Huangfu Yuchen. Liao Kingdom was powerful, and together with the Mai Kingdom, Great Han couldn't overpower each other. So, even if they were blunt, it wouldn't be an issue.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Since all the monarchs know about the existence of cement, you must also be aware that the cement currently produced in Great Han is only enough to meet domestic demand."

Hui Mailong smiled faintly, "Your Majesty Huangfu, we do understand that. That's why we are willing to pay a high price to purchase the formula for cement from Great Han. We understand the importance of cement, and it's very tempting."

Hei Zhentian added lightly, "When people can't resist temptation, they often do irrational things."

The square fell silent.

Huangfu Yuchen remained composed and looked at the sky, "It's getting late. Everyone, please move to the Reception Hall for lunch. I have prepared another exciting program for you in the afternoon."

Since they would reconvene in the afternoon, Liao Chengyuan and the others decided not to discuss cement matters further and followed Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen waved to Yan Ge.

Yan Ge ordered some people to send all the gold, silver, and jewels he had acquired to the Tenglong Palace before walking over to Huangfu Yuchen.

The two exchanged a smile.

Huangfu Yuchen looked Yan Ge up and down; it was the first time he had seen him in official attire. Yan Ge exuded an air of righteousness and vitality in his official garb, which delighted Huangfu Yuchen.

"How does it feel? Not bad, right?" Yan Ge raised his head proudly.

Huangfu Yuchen nodded with a smile, "How about I grant you an official position?"

"No," Yan Ge quickly waved his hand, "I don't want to take up a position."

Feeling the gazes that were fixed on them from all directions, Huangfu Yuchen tightly held Yan Ge's hand. His baby was excellent and well-liked, and it was only natural for others to be attracted to him, but he wouldn't allow anyone to take his treasure away.

Although Yan Ge was puzzled by his sudden gesture, he naturally held Huangfu Yuchen's hand and smiled at him.

Huangfu Yuchen's heart softened, and he said dotingly, "The afternoon's program will be exciting. Let's go together."

"Yes." Yan Ge nodded.

The monarchs watched the two of them interact as if no one was around and they understood one thing: it wouldn't be easy to break apart their relationship.

The state banquet lunch was sumptuous, and the monarchs temporarily set aside national affairs to enjoy the delicacies. Until they were about seventy to eighty percent full, Wei Lie brought up the issue of cement again.

"Your Majesty Huangfu, regarding the matter of cement…"

Huangfu Yuchen waved his hand, "King Wei, savoring food requires full attention to truly appreciate its beauty. Otherwise, what distinguishes delicacies from ordinary food? It might be difficult for you to taste authentic Great Han cuisine after you return to your kiny. The matter of cement can wait. After enjoying the program in the afternoon, we can discuss it then. What do you think, King Wei?"

"Hehe, His Majesty Huangfu is right. I was too impatient," Wei Lie raised his cup, "I toast to His Majesty. Please."

"Please."

After the sumptuous state banquet lunch, the monarchs returned to their lodgings to rest briefly.

As the afternoon approached, the monarchs and envoys, guided by the ceremonial officials, arrived at the military training ground.

Hui Mailong and the others exchanged glances; by this point, they should be able to guess Huangfu Yuchen's intentions. He was likely to hold a military exercise as a warning. However, none of them took this military exercise seriously. They were well aware of the military strength and forces of Great Han Kingdom, which were not enough to intimidate them. They wanted to see what Huangfu Yuchen thought would impress them.

The monarchs remained composed and took their seats as guided by the ceremonial officials. Others also took their seats.

Yan Ge changed back to his regular clothes and sat beside Huangfu Yuchen.

Yan Jin and the young crown prince also sat nearby. Huangfu Yuchen had deliberately brought the young crown prince to experience the unique atmosphere of the military training ground.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "I remember when the late emperor was in power, all the monarchs had visited Great Han Kingdom, and he held a military exercise. Today, I'm following the example of the late emperor to conduct a military demonstration. I hope all the monarchs can witness and offer guidance, as you did back then."

"Your Majesty Huangfu, you flatter us. This is excellent. I'm also curious to see how Great Han Kingdom's military strength compares to my kingdom," Hui Mailong attempted to sound humble, but a trace of arrogance inadvertently appeared in his expression, showing his confidence in his Kingdom's military power.

Liao Chengyuan and others all concurred, but they were somewhat absent-minded.

Yan Ge gave a cold smile. He had played a significant role in the training of these Imperial Guards. He had written a comprehensive training plan for them, including daily spontaneous trumpet gatherings to train their responsiveness, daily running and weight-bearing exercises to build their physical endurance, daily practice of equestrian skills, archery, and sword techniques for targeted training. There were also sporadic simulated combat exercises and even exercises to develop their thinking ability, cultivating the soldiers' adaptability and emergency response capabilities. He dared to say that no other kingdom's military training could match this level of thoroughness. Since Huangfu Yuchen decided to hold this military exercise, he must have some big moves up his sleeve.

Huangfu Yuchen signaled to Deng Mande.

Deng Mande whispered something to Xiao Changzi beside him.

"The military exercise begins now!"

Upon receiving the signal, Yang Zhuo, who had been waiting outside, immediately led five thousand soldiers to march forward.

"Thump! Thump! Thump…" The uniform and rhythmic footsteps shook the ground, and the atmosphere of the training ground instantly changed, becoming solemn and majestic, enveloping the entire training ground.

Hui Mailong casually looked over, his expression unconcerned, but it suddenly turned serious. Was this Huangfu Yuchen's army? The sturdy black helmets, the imposing black armor, the bright spears, and the sturdy boots all sent a shiver down his spine based on their appearance alone.

"Attention! At ease! Left turn, right turn…"

Yang Zhuo gave the command again, "Stab!"

Five thousand soldiers thrust their spears forward, shouting "Kill!" in unison with a chilling aura.

Yang Zhuo then commanded, "Slash!"

The soldiers all drew their swords at the same time, once again shouting, "Kill!"

"Fire arrows!"

"Kill!"

"Defend!"

"Kill!"

"Defend!"

"Kill!"

…

It had to be said; the momentum was intimidating, and the killing intent was shocking. However, the monarchs were self-confident that their own armies could achieve the same level. They couldn't help but feel puzzled. Was this what Huangfu Yuchen wanted to show them?

Yan Ge blinked at Huangfu Yuchen.

"Don't worry, baby," Huangfu Yuchen chuckled and whispered, "I did it on purpose. Although the purpose of this military exercise is to impress them, we can't reveal all our cards. Let's start with these basic exercises and test their patience. When they become impatient, we'll unleash our trump card."

"What's the trump card? Can you tell me?" Yan Ge was extremely curious. He could tell that Huangfu Yuchen was in a very good mood.

Huangfu Yuchen smiled, "You'll know soon."

The military training continued.

At first, Hui Mailong and the others watched attentively, but as time passed, their patience waned.

After nearly half an hour, Huangfu Yuchen seemingly casually brushed Yan Ge's hair.

Across the training ground, a palace maid lifted her head and then lowered it, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

Upon seeing this, Yang Zhuo loudly shouted, "Five Tigers and Five Sheep Formation!"

The five thousand soldiers quickly and neatly dispersed to form a "V" shape, all lying down.

"What are they doing?" Hei Zhentian wondered.

"Who knows," Wei Lie muttered.

Yang Zhuo shouted, "Throw!"

Suddenly, a soldier in the front row pulled something from his waist and threw it forward. The object hit the ground, and with a loud "boom", dust and smoke billowed, churning in the air.

"Throw, throw, throw!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three more explosions followed.

Hui Mailong and Liao Chengyuan's expressions changed drastically. They stood up in astonishment, looking at the rolling smoke and dust in the training ground.

What was that just now?!

Yan Ge widened his eyes in surprise. "Yuchen, that was…"

"It's impressive, isn't it?" Huangfu Yuchen hugged him and explained, "Recently, our troops stationed at Qingxi Mountain accidentally discovered a colorless smoke that easily explodes when ignited. I thought of using this smoke in military matters. It has proven to be effective."

Yan Ge gaped in shock. 'Isn't colorless smoke an odorless and colorless gas? Could it be methane? Methane is widely distributed in nature, a simple organic compound, odorless and colorless, known as natural gas, marsh gas, pit gas, etc.'

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Huangfu Yuchen held his hand, "Baby, I didn't intend to hide it from you. This smoke is too dangerous. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives when it was discovered, and we lost more than a dozen men during the military department's experiments with these 'explosive bottles.' I was afraid you might want to experiment with it, so I kept it from you."

Yan Ge was both angry and helpless. "This gas is indeed very dangerous! That's why you should have told me. Did you personally experiment with it?"

Huangfu Yuchen quickly shook his head, "No, the military department's people were also concerned about its dangers and insisted on not allowing me to observe it."

Annoyed, Yan Ge said, "After dealing with the matters here, I'll settle accounts with you."

"Baby…" Huangfu Yuchen appeased him, gently squeezing his hand.

Yan Ge glanced at the training ground, ignoring him.

"Your Majesty…," Luo Yousong of the Youji Kingdom had an expression of shock and horror. He urgently asked, "What was that just now?"

Huangfu Yuchen replied indifferently, "Oh, that's a new weapon invented by our Kingdom, called the 'Bottle Explosion'."

"Bottle Explosion?"

Hui Mailong and the others looked at each other, remaining speechless for a long time.

Huangfu Yuchen casually continued, "According to the people from our military department, this thing has tremendous killing power. If you confine one hundred chickens in a chicken coop the size of a room and throw an explosive bottle inside, it can kill all one hundred chickens. I haven't personally witnessed it, so perhaps their words are exaggerated."

Hui Mailong and the others understood and all had shocked and horrified expressions on their faces.

Huangfu Yuchen gestured for Yang Zhuo to take the soldiers back and looked at them puzzled. "What's wrong with all of you? Please sit. By the way, about the cement, this is how it is: our kingdom's cement production is indeed not much, currently just enough to meet the needs of the capital city. However, I believe the production will increase in the future. Our kingdom has always upheld the principle of friendship and exchange with other nations. I can promise you that as long as the cement production increases, I will definitely sell cement to all of you. You can rest assured about this."

Hui Mailong, Liao Chengyuan, Hei Zhentian, and Wei Lie, who had previously considered using force to threaten Huangfu Yuchen to sell them cement, had no trace of arrogance on their faces now. It seemed that they had lost all confidence in their kingdoms' military strength in an instant.

After exchanging pleasantries with the other monarchs, Huangfu Yuchen let his guests be escorted back to their lodgings. He returned to the Tenglong Palace with Yan Ge.

Rarely seeing his beloved with a stern face, Huangfu Yuchen felt both curious and guilty. Regardless of being right or wrong, he knew he should apologize first.

"Baby, I was wrong. Please don't be angry."

Yan Ge was indeed very angry. Methane was extremely dangerous, especially for those unfamiliar with it. Huangfu Yuchen was intelligent to think of using this gas in military applications, but it frightened him when he heard that Huangfu Yuchen had been experimenting with it.

"My love," Huangfu Yuchen embraced him from behind, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Fortunately, nothing happened to Huangfu Yuchen due to the methane, and after a while, Yan Ge's anger subsided.

Huangfu Yuchen had been observing his expression and saw that he calmed down. Relieved, he quickly pulled him close and explained the situation in detail.

"Baby, do you know what this 'gas' is?"

Yan Ge explained in simple language the nature, dangers, and uses of methane, as well as inquired about the military department's process of making the explosive bottles. He then made some modifications based on his chemical knowledge and wrote it down on paper to hand it to Huangfu Yuchen.

"I'll have someone inform the military department right away."

Huangfu Yuchen passed on the instructions and returned to sit beside Yan Ge.

Yan Ge had already planned to produce gunpowder, but due to many other matters, he had not yet gotten to it. He never imagined that Huangfu Yuchen would discover methane before him and even make rudimentary gas bombs. This person's mind was truly unfathomable. Yan Ge looked at him, and took the opportunity to ruffle his hair playfully.

As long as his beloved wasn't angry, everything was fine. Huangfu Yuchen allowed him to mess with his head, and Yan Ge lowered his head to kiss his lips.

Yan Ge then stood up and said, "I'm tired after today. For the next ten days, I'll live at Luoxue Palace."

Huangfu Yuchen sighed helplessly. Alright, he would climb through the window at night.

The next day, all the monarchs came to bid farewell to Huangfu Yuchen, as expected. With Yan Ge still punishing him, he wasn't in the mood to engage in political maneuverings. After exchanging a few polite words, he had his attendants see them off. He believed that for at least the next year, no kingdom would dare to provoke them easily.

—"Ding. Side Mission – Develop the capital into a famous city, is complete. Reward: 2 million taels of silver and one gold chest. Would you like to open the gold chest now?"

'2 million taels of silver!'

Yan Ge who was in Luoxue Palace laughed and immediately opened the gold chest. The gold chest was special, so the rewards inside must be better than those from the silver chest. What could it be?

–"Congratulations, you've obtained the 'Heavenly Demon Annihilation Technique.'"

"Heavenly Demon Annihilation Technique?" Yan Ge looked at it. "So it's a cultivation technique! Although it's far inferior to the 'Fengyun Immortal Records,' it's still an excellent cultivation technique. Great stuff!"

However, he needed to figure out how to make the best use of this technique. He decided he'll take time to carefully study it, so he put it away in his backpack for now.

—"Ding. Side Mission – Develop Great Han into a world-renowned powerful nation. Mission time: five years. Mission Rewards upon success: Ten thousand taels of gold, one gold chest. Punishment upon failure: deduction of 100,000 taels of gold. Do you accept the mission? Yes or no?"

Yan Ge was thrilled. This time, the mission reward was gold! Of course, he accepted it!

It had been a busy day, and his mood fluctuated a lot. After the excitement, Yan Ge felt a little tired.

Huangfu Yuchen had been trying to communicating with him using his spiritual sense, but he pretended not to notice and fell asleep with his head covered. In his sleep, his lips involuntarily curled up. After an unknown amount of time, a familiar presence enveloped him…

One year later, on the cement road leading to the capital.

Dozens of specially-made large carriage boxes were pulled by several horses, clattering along the official road. The carriages had open tops, and their contents were piled high and covered with black cloth, concealing what was inside.

At the head of the caravan were two young men riding tall horses. They bore a striking resemblance, their skin slightly tanned.

These two men were none other than Gao Feng and Gao Yun, who had left the capital over a year ago. One had gone to the southwest, and the other to the south, but they unexpectedly met in Youcheng, so they had traveled together.

The two brothers chatted and laughed.

"We're almost in the capital. After leaving Boss's side for a year, I really missed him," Gao Yun said.

"Yeah," Gao Feng also smiled, "It feels more interesting to be with the boss."

"True, but this year away has been rewarding. We can now report to the boss and His Majesty successfully," Gao Yun said.

"Our kingdom has changed a lot in this year. I heard that sixty percent of cities and counties in the entire kingdom now have cement roads," Gao Feng said, "If not for these cement roads, we wouldn't have been able to return to the capital so quickly."

A carriage driver couldn't help but interject, "That's right, it's all thanks to our benevolent emperor and our considerate Yan Guiqing!"

That's right, Yan Ge had now been promoted to Guiqing.

"Yes, as citizens of Great Han, we are happy. I heard that these cement roads are unique to our kingdom!" Gao Feng, Gao Yun, and the other imperial guards traveling with them all exchanged knowing smiles.

In the capital, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were both on vacation, keeping watch on children in the garden of the First Company. Lady Wen had gone back to her family to visit her sick mother, and Madam Yan had to go pray, so she entrusted the one-year-and three-month-old Yan Xiangtian, to Yan Ge.

Although Yang Zhuo still hadn't regained his memories, he fell in love with Deng Mama again, and they remarried last year. Now they had a six-month-old daughter, a precious little girl who was chubby and adorable, bringing endless joy to everyone.

With Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince, there were now four children in the courtyard, and Yan Xiangtian looked longingly at Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince, wanting to play with them. However, Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince were much older, and they couldn't communicate well with Yan Xiangtian. After playing for a while, the three of them would end up fighting. Additionally, Little Miss Yang would occasionally cry, making the garden incredibly… lively and noisy.

Yan Ge's head ached from the noise, so he handed Yan Xiangtian over to Huangfu Yuchen and leisurely laid back on a nearby recliner, eating a peach.

Even though Yan Xiangtian felt upset about being teased and rejected by Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince, he didn't cry. He stood there silently, a pitiful and funny sight to behold.

"This kid is quite interesting," Huangfu Yuchen said with a smile.

Yan Ge was satisfied, "He takes a lot from me."

Huangfu Yuchen effortlessly lifted Yan Xiangtian by his collar with one hand, "Baby, guess if he'll cry."

Yan Ge warned, "Don't make him cry, if he does, you'll have to comfort him."

"Kid, are you scared?" Huangfu Yuchen raised his arm and tossed Yan Xiangtian a little higher.

Yan Ge looked at Huangfu Yuchen's playful behavior helplessly. He recalled a video he had seen before called "Never Let Men Take Care of Children."

Huangfu Yuchen put one palm under Yan Xiangtian's back, held him with the other hand, and tossed him up again.

Yan Xiangtian turned 360 degrees in the air and landed back in Huangfu Yuchen's palm, but this time with his back facing the ground and his face down. The little one seemed startled, tightly clutching Huangfu Yuchen's hand. After seeing the scene below, he blinked his eyes and wailed in fear.

Yan Ge glared at Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen was startled by Yan Xiangtian's loud cry. He held the little one gently by the armpits and placed him on Yan Ge's chest, saying innocently, "Maybe he's hungry."

Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince both looked at him in accusation.

"Hmm?" Huangfu Yuchen's expression turned solemn, and he raised an eyebrow.

Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince quickly looked away.

"Alright, Tiantian, a man should not shed tears," Yan Ge held Yan Xiangtian in his arms, walked up to Huangfu Yuchen, and used the little fist to hit Huangfu Yuchen's shoulder. "Watch our Shadowless Fist!"

Yan Xiangtian smiled with tears still hanging from his eyelashes. He glanced at Huangfu Yuchen and stretched out his little arms toward him. "Again."

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen: "…"

"Was he scared and cried because he wasn't prepared earlier?" Yan Jin burst into laughter.

The maids and servants on the side also chuckled softly.

At this moment, Deng Mande ran over with a joyous expression. "Your Majesty, Yan Guiqing, Guard Feng and Guard Yun have returned!"

"Good!" Huangfu Yuchen smiled, "They were in Youcheng a few days ago, didn't expect them to arrive so quickly."

Thinking about the miraculous Maifan stone, Yan Ge became excited. "Finally! Where are they now?"

"They've arrived at the west city gate, Yan Guiqing," Deng Mande said, "There are more than a dozen carriages in total."

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Send someone to meet them and have them deliver the goods directly to the palace."

"Yes." Deng Mande responded, "Your Majesty, there's more good news. General Jun and General Lu have also sent messages. They have successfully found the goods. General Jun will probably arrive in another three or four days, and General Lu will likely arrive in ten days."

Huangfu Yuchen was overjoyed, "Excellent! All those who went on the mission will be heavily rewarded!"

"Come on, let's go back." Yan Ge couldn't wait and handed Yan Xiangtian to Yan Jin.

"Eh? I don't know how to take care of children." Yan Jing handed Yan Xiangtian to Qiu Xiang, then pulled the Little Crown Prince and quickly ran away.

Yan Xiangtian's gaze followed Yan Ge and the others as he was held in Qiu Xiang's arms. He blinked, blinked again, probably wondering: why didn't anyone take me along?

Back at the Tenglong Palace, Yan Ge couldn't stay still. At times, he was excited about the Maifan stone that would greatly increase food production, and at other times, he worried about what to do if the stones found by Gao Feng and the others weren't the Maifan stone. He scratched his head in frustration.

Huangfu Yuchen simply pulled him into his arms, kissed him deeply, while his hands roamed around…

After a while, when their intimacy subsided, Yan Ge calmed down and thought things through. Even if they didn't find Maifan stone this time, it didn't matter. They could send another group to search.

Huangfu Yuchen caressed Yan Ge's face and said to the people outside the door, "Come in."

Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince walked in.

"Greetings, Father Emperor."

"Hmm." Huangfu Yuchen, as a father, still maintained his dignity.

"Second Master, is the Maifan stone really as miraculous as you said?" The Little Crown Prince sat beside Yan Ge, asking curiously.

Yan Ge nodded, "You'll find out soon. When the time comes, we'll choose some suitable stones and have them made into mechanism cups. Drinking water from cups made of the Maifan stone is beneficial to one's health."

Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, and a few others sat in the hall for about two to three quarters of an hour when a palace attendant rushed in to report, "Announcement to Your Majesty, Guards Gao Feng and Gao Yun are outside the hall and request an audience."

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Let them in."

"Yes."

After a moment, Gao Feng and Gao Yun strode in and knelt heavily on the steps, indicating their excitement. "We pay our respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty! Respectful greetings to Yan Guiqing!"

"Rise." Huangfu Yuchen raised his hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Yan Ge looked at Gao Feng and Gao Yun, then smiled and teased them, "It's over, Master Gao and Madam Gao will want to scold me. You both have gotten so tanned, how are you going to propose marriage like this?"

Gao Feng and Gao Yun smiled with embarrassment.

"You're exaggerating, Yan Guiqing."

Huangfu Yuchen asked, "You've been gone for over a year, you've worked hard. What are your findings?"

Gao Feng said, "For Your Majesty and the Kingdom, we were willing and didn't dare to complain. We were fortunate enough to find large areas of Maifan in the rivers and mountains in the south and southwest. However, due to limited manpower, transporting these stones on a large scale to the capital would undoubtedly attract attention. Secondly, we were eager to report the news to Your Majesty, so we only brought back a dozen or so carriages of the Maifan stone."

Huangfu Yuchen looked at them with admiration and nodded. "You've thought it through well and haven't disappointed me. Come, have a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After they sat down, Yan Ge asked, "Tell us in detail how you found the Maifan stone."

Gao Feng began, "It goes like this. When we first arrived in the south, we followed Yan Guiqing's instructions and asked the locals in each town if there had been any volcanic eruptions in the area. Initially, we asked anyone we saw, but later, we realized we should ask the elderly, who might know about such things. So, we focused on asking the elderly. At first, we only found some scattered stones, and it was only over two months ago when we dug up a large area of Maifan stones at the foot of a mountain near a river."

Huangfu Yuchen asked, "Did you record the locations of all the Maifan stones you found?"

Gao Feng said, "We wrote them all down on paper."

As he spoke, he took out a short flute from his pocket and broke it, revealing a small rolled-up piece of paper.

Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge both nodded in satisfaction. Gao Feng was very meticulous; even during such a long and tiring journey, he maintained his vigilance.

Gao Feng handed the paper scroll to Deng Mande, who passed it to Huangfu Yuchen.

"Gao Yun, how about your side?" Yan Ge asked.

Gao Yun replied, "Regarding Yan Guiqing's inquiry, my situation was similar to Gao Feng's. However, the southwestern region is more mountainous, so the search process was more complicated. It was over four months ago when we found a large area of Maifan stone distribution, but on the way back, we encountered a group of bandits. We attacked the small bandit stronghold, and that's why we were delayed."

Then he handed over the locations he recorded to Deng Mande as well. The two brothers were quite interesting – Gao Feng hid the paper inside the broken flute, and Gao Yun concealed it in his hairpin. They were both very cautious.

"Did any of the teams suffer casualties?" Huangfu Yuchen asked.

Gao Feng replied, "There were no casualties in my team."

Gao Yun said with remorse, "After we entered the deep forest, one soldier in my team was bitten by a venomous snake and died. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Huangfu Yuchen said, "There's no need to blame yourself. It was an unexpected situation, and it wasn't something you desired. Deng Mande, issue an order to give the family of that soldier 500 taels of silver as compensation."

"Yes."

"On behalf of that brother, thank you, Your Majesty!" Gao Yun stood up and knelt down.

"Rise."

Yan Ge said, "Yuchen, let's go and see the Maifan stone now."

"Alright, let's go."

Everyone arrived at the heavily guarded Wuying Hall, and the carriages loaded with Maifan stones were parked here.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun felt somewhat nervous; if what they found was not Maifan stone, His Majesty and Yan Guiqing would be disappointed.

Deng Mande stepped forward and uncovered the black cloth on the carriages.

Yan Ge had seen many Maifan stones before and was now sure after seeing the stones inside the carriage. "Yes, these are Maifan stones."

"Are you certain?" Huangfu Yuchen asked.

"Certain." Yan Ge smiled, picking up a smaller stone. "See the many small holes on it? And these white spots look like grains of rice. It is undoubtedly Maifan stone."

Gao Yun said, "When we first found stones that looked like the Maifan stone you described, we didn't dare to be presumptuous. We had to test it with water mixed with ink. But later, after finding more, we gained experience, and we could tell whether it was Maifan stone at a glance."

Yan Ge asked Deng Mande to uncover the other carriages, and after a quick look at the stones stacked on top, he was basically certain that they were all Maifan stones.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Good! Gao Feng, Gao Yun, you've made significant contributions. Each of you will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver, and the other soldiers in your teams will be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver each!"

Gao Feng and Gao Yun were already quite well off, and now they received another thousand taels of silver each. They thanked gratefully.

Yan Jin and the Little Crown Prince had already started selecting the more aesthetically pleasing stones on the side, preparing to have them made into tea sets.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "You two have been away from the capital for over a year, and Master Gao and Madam Gao must be very concerned. Go offer greetings."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Huangfu Yuchen asked Yan Ge, "Xiao Ge, do you have any other instructions?"

Yan Ge laughed, "I'll give you both a month off to rest properly after you return."

"Thank you, Yan Guiqing!"

Gao Feng and Gao Yun walked out of the hall. Unintentionally, they both stretched their arms, letting out a yawn. For the first time in over a year, they felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

"Let's go home, take a bath and have a good sleep!" Gao Yun said.

When they returned to the Gao residence, the servants who had also received the news were waiting anxiously at the door. When they saw the two familiar figures approaching on horseback, they were incredibly excited.

"Quick, go and tell the master and madam that the young master and second young master are back!"

The two brothers entered the residence and first paid their respects to their father in the main hall.

Gao Jingwei and Madam Gao had eager expressions, their eyes fixed on the door. In a short while, they saw the two young men walking in together and kneeling in front of them, giving a solid kowtow.

"Father, Mother."

"Good, good. My good boys. Get up quickly, get up quickly." Madam Gao said while wiping her tears, "Let Mother have a good look."

Gao Feng and Gao Yun stood up and walked in front of Madam Gao.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Gao Jingwei looked at his two sons with satisfaction. "Everything went well, right?" The matter of the Maifan stone was kept a secret, and even he didn't know the details, only that his two sons had received a secret decree from the Emperor and went on a trip.

Gao Yun hurriedly said, "Very smoothly. As soon as we entered the palace, we reported to the Emperor, and he rewarded each of us with a thousand taels of silver."

"Oh," Gao Jingwei listened and roughly guessed. Needing to be on a trip for a whole year indicated it was an extremely important matter. However, the Emperor only rewarded them with silver without any other official recognition, which meant the details of the mission were confidential. He didn't ask about it and only inquired how they had spent the past year.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun answered one by one.

After learning all the details, Madam Gao suddenly said, "Feng'er, Yun'er, both of you are not young anymore. This time, the Emperor and Yan Guiqing have granted you a month off. It's a perfect opportunity to handle your marriage affairs."

"What?!" Gao Feng and Gao Yun looked at each other in surprise.

Gao Jingwei nodded, "Your mother is right. Feng'er, you are already twenty-three, and Yun'er, you are twenty-one. Even the children of our colleagues' friends are getting married by now."

"Father, Mother, this is too sudden," Gao Yun hesitated. "One month is too short to both propose and get married. Isn't it too rushed?"

Gao Feng also said, "Yes, Father, Mother, we are still young. It's a good time to serve by the Emperor's and Yan Guiqing's side. Let's talk about marriage later."

A faint smile appeared on Madam Gao's face. "Who told you that getting married means you can't serve by the Emperor's and Yan Guiqing's side?"

Gao Feng was at a loss for words.

Gao Yun pulled Gao Feng along and said, "Father, Mother, we are very tired from just returning. Let's rest first, and we can discuss this later."

"Stop!" Gao Jingwei put down his teacup and spoke sternly.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun had to stop.

"Father, do you have any other instructions?"

Gao Jingwei said slowly, "According to the Emperor's intention, there may be major movements from him and Yan Guiqing in the near future. At that time, you may be called upon to join them. If you don't mind that our arrangements for your marriage may clash with that time, you can go."

Gao Feng asked curiously, "Father, what kind of major movements?"

Gao Jingwei glanced at him and calmly sipped his tea.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun exchanged glances helplessly. As officials, their father was experienced while they were still inexperienced.

"We will get married, but the candidates must be agreed upon by both of us," Gao Feng said.

Madam Gao had a pleased expression. "Of course. I will invite the matchmaker right away."

After the two brothers left the main hall, they couldn't help but sigh again.

"Big brother, why haven't we encountered any thing like 'the hero rescues the beauty' or 'martial arts competitions to win the beauty' while in the outside world during this past year?" Gao Yun said.

Gao Feng also regretted, "If only we had chosen someone during the Hundred Flowers Festival."

"Forget it," Gao Yun said, "We can only hope for Mother's discerning eye."

"Summon the Ministers of the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of War to the Imperial Study."

"Yes."

"Xiao Ge, I will first go to the study to handle the Maifan stone matter." Huangfu Yuchen gave a brief instruction and proceeded to the study.

Gao Jingwei and Luo Wei were summoned by the Emperor in haste. As they met on the way, they greeted each other respectfully.

"Master Gao, do you know why the Emperor summoned the two of us?" Luo Wei asked.

Gao Jingwei shook his head. "The Emperor's intentions are hard to predict. It might be about hydraulic engineering or military equipment."

Luo Wei inwardly cursed the old fox, Gao Jingwei's response was equivalent to saying nothing.

The two arrived at the door of the Imperial Study and announced, "Minister of Public Works, Gao Jingwei, and Minister of War, Luo Wei, request an audience with the Emperor."

After a while, a voice from inside said, "The Minister of Public Works and the Minister of War may have an audience."

"We pay respects to the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Huangfu Yuchen got straight to the point, "I have an important and confidential mission for the two of you. Take a look at this."

Deng Mande handed two pieces of paper to Gao Jingwei and Luo Wei.

On the paper, they saw the names of various cities, counties, and villages, along with detailed addresses, indicating directions such as east or west from the city.

"Do you see the stone on the table? I want you to immediately send people to these places to carefully survey the specific production and distribution of this type of ore. Instruct the local authorities to mine 50,000 catties of the ore and transport it to the capital. This matter is of great benefit to the development of our Great Han. The Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of War must not only cooperate fully but also keep it a secret."

"Yes!"

Huangfu Yuchen continued, "The mining operation will inevitably lead to the need for a large number of local laborers. Warn the local authorities that hiring laborers must be done officially with proper wages or providing three meals a day. We must not incite public resentment. Otherwise, if I find out, the punishment will range from dismissal and confiscation of property to public execution."

"Yes."

"Furthermore, to prevent some officials from presuming my intentions and secretly hoarding the ore, strict supervision must be in place. Once any misconduct is found, there will be no leniency!"

Luo Wei said, "Your Majesty's consideration is thorough, and this official admires it. Please rest assured; I will personally oversee this matter with the Minister of Public Works."

Gao Jingwei added, "Since the implementation of Your Majesty's 'cyclical inspection and supervision policy,' upright officials are rewarded, and corrupt officials are investigated and punished. The officials serve the people with joy, and the governance is fair. I believe that no one dares to abuse their power or slack off."

The 'cyclical Inspection and supervision policy' referred to the practice where the Emperor dispatched two separate groups of officials at different times and locations to secretly inspect the conduct of local officials. The members of the two groups did not know each other's identities. If the latter group of officials did not discover any illegal activities, such as concealing information, colluding with local officials, or accepting bribes, committed by the first group of officials, then it was good. However, if they found any wrongdoing, severe punishment awaited.

Huangfu Yuchen had increased officials' salaries, so the officials of Great Han were happy and served the country and the Emperor with greater dedication. Later, with the introduction of the cyclical inspection and supervision policy, people began to self-examine and self-regulate. Overall, it indeed led to a more clean and just governance. However, there were still some daring and greedy individuals, which was why Huangfu Yuchen emphasized this point.

"Immediately send people to handle this matter."

"Yes!"

The Maifan stone that had been transported to the capital was sent to the Agricultural Experiment Department in secret, and the head of the department was informed about the usage of Maifan stone.

Maifan stone was an effective and natural soil improver that stabilized, enhanced, and balanced soil physical functions. It not only benefited crops but also greatly improved the growth of poultry and livestock, enhancing meat and egg quality and strengthening their disease resistance. Currently, the Maifan stone was only enough to supply the needs of the Agricultural Experiment Department and the Imperial Vegetable and Poultry Farm. In time, Yan Ge would gradually promote the use of the Maifan stone throughout the capital, then to major cities in the kingdom, and finally to counties and towns nationwide, expanding its usage step by step until it reached the whole nation.

By then, the national grain production would significantly increase, ensuring self-sufficiency, meeting wartime needs, and even allowing for export to foreign kingdoms.

However, all of this required time.

Yan Ge had been busy for nearly a month, and the good news of Gao Feng and Gao Yun's simultaneous marriage spread throughout the streets. Besides his identity as the boss of the First Company, he was also an imperial consort. Attending the weddings of subordinates would go against the palace rules and might affect the political situation, so he didn't personally go to the Gao family. Instead, he sent trusted attendants and a generous gift. Even so, this honor was enough to make other officials envy.

In the blink of an eye, it was July.

As usual, Yan Ge disguised himself and toured all the industries under the First Company's name. Such inspections occurred approximately every two to three months. Due to the imperial authority, very few people in the company dared to be lazy or deceitful. If anyone was found, they would be promptly dismissed, and all shops with the 'Nanyi' mark would no longer hire them. Thanks to this, the company's management was smooth.

After Yan Ge finished the inspection, he met with several key members, including Wen Xian, Wei Jushen, and Zhao Cheng.

Wen Xian smiled, "Every time Boss Yan inspects, he uses a different appearance and attire. I heard he caught three employees making mistakes on three different occasions. I'm afraid your employees are already on edge due to your surprise inspections."

Yan Ge responded casually, "Those with a clear conscience need not fear knocking on a ghost's door. If they haven't done anything wrong, why should they be afraid of my inspection?"

"That's true," Wen Xian nodded, smiling.

Wei Jushen said, "Boss Yan's inspections not only identify those who behave improperly but also reward those who are diligent and reliable. There are rewards and punishments, which is fair."

The group settled in a private room at Liuxian Pavilion, and Wen Xian said, "I'm getting married in a month. Boss Yan, if you're available, I hope you can grace us with your presence at the wedding."

"To Jushen?" Yan Ge glanced playfully at him and Wei Jushen. He had long noticed that something was brewing between the two, but he didn't expect it to take so long to bear fruit.

Wei Jushen replied, "Actually, we had planned to get married long ago, but we've been too busy. Now, we finally have some free time. We've discussed it and decided to adopt a child from Brother Wen's eldest brother after the wedding."

It could be seen that Wei Jushen was in a cheerful mood, he even revealed their private plans.

Yan Ge smiled, "Congratulations! Congratulations! I'll treat you all today. If I'm free on that day, I will definitely come to congratulate you." He was genuinely happy for Wen Xian and Wei Jushen's engagement. In private, both were his trusted friends, and he genuinely wished them happiness. On a public level, Wei Jushen was his confidant, while Wen Xian was a prominent merchant in the capital. Their union would strengthen the ties between the First Company and the Wen family. In the future, if there were any financial or labor needs from the Wen family, it would be easier to negotiate with someone close.

After returning to the palace, Yan Ge took Wan Xiang and Xiao Chuanzi to the treasure room to pick out congratulatory gifts for Wei Jushen and Wen Xian.

When Huangfu Yuchen returned from the morning court, he saw Yan Ge rummaging in the treasure room.

"Xiao Ge, what are you looking for?"

"You're back. Wei Jushen and Wen Xian are getting married, so I'm looking for suitable congratulatory gifts." Yan Ge didn't even turn his head and picked up a jade carving to examine. "This 'Moonlight Over the Vast Sea' is not bad, but the symbolism may not be quite appropriate…"

"Are both of them getting married to someone else, or are they marrying each other?" Huangfu Yuchen walked over to his side and casually asked.

"They are marrying each other," Yan Ge replied.

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled, "Then you've saved one congratulatory gift."

Yan Ge also smiled.

"When is the wedding?"

"In a month."

"Oh. Then you might not be able to attend." Huangfu Yuchen glanced at the tea table nearby, and the clever Deng Mande quickly walked over and poured a cup of iced tea, offering it to them.

"Why not?" Yan Ge turned back in confusion.

Huangfu Yuchen said nonchalantly, "In a few days, a special forces unit is going on a mission to the northwest. I was planning to take you with me. However, if you don't want to go, you can stay."

Yan Ge was overjoyed and clasped his shoulders with both hands, "I'll go, of course I'll go! As for the congratulatory gifts for Wei Jushen and Wen Xian, we can send them through someone else."

As soon as he heard that he could 'travel' again, his eyes sparkled with excitement. Huangfu Yuchen loved seeing him with this expression, and a charming smile curved his lips as he pulled him into an embrace.

The eunuchs and palace maids voluntarily withdrew from the treasure room, closing the door behind them.

"I knew you would be interested." Huangfu Yuchen lightly scraped Yan Ge's cheek with his thumb and chuckled.

"I've wanted to experience the life of a soldier in the military camp a long time ago, but I never had the time. Now, I have an even better opportunity." Yan Ge grinned, leaning in to kiss him on the lips with a loud 'mwah,' "Are all the political arrangements in place?"

"Otherwise, what do you think I've been busy with, shuttling between the Study and Tenglong palace?" Huangfu Yuchen embraced Yan Ge and sat down, affectionately rubbing their hands together with a satisfied sigh, "Baby, I've missed you. It feels like it's been a long time since I held you properly…"

Yan Ge tilted his head back and kissed him.

Huangfu Yuchen wrapped his hands around Yan Ge, as if afraid he might escape, and deeply pressed his lips against Yan Ge's, passionately sucking…

The next day, Yan Ge informed his family at the Yan Mansion about his upcoming trip to the northwest, but he didn't mention the special forces mission. His family only thought the Emperor was planning another incognito tour.

"Going to the northwest? Isn't that where Xiguan Pass is?" Madam Yan's face lit up, "Can you check on your eldest brother while you're there?"

"That's my plan." Yan Ge smiled, "Mom, Dad, don't worry. I will make time to visit Xiguan Pass."

"That's good." Madam Yan was somewhat excited, "Your eldest brother has been away for over two years. He always says everything is fine in his letters, but I can't be at ease. If you can personally see him this time, I'll be reassured."

Yan Xiaojing looked at Yan Ge helplessly, "You're going to the northwest, and the northwest isn't just Xiguan Pass. Did you tell the Emperor about your visit to Xiguan Pass?"

"I did." Yan Ge looked at his father with a helpless gaze, "Father, why don't you trust me?"

Yan Xiaojing snorted heavily, "That's because you always do things that make me uneasy!"

Madam Yan chuckled, "Alright, old master. Yan Ge's actions are the most secure, especially with the Emperor's care. What's there to worry about?"

Lady Wen, who was holding Yan Xiangtian, sat restlessly, wanting to speak but hesitated.

Madam Yan asked curiously, "Daughter-in-law, do you have something to say?"

"Brother-in-law…" Lady Wen hesitated, glancing at Yan Ge.

Yan Ge was puzzled, "Sister-in-law, we're all family. Just speak your mind."

After hesitating for a moment, Lady Wen finally made up her mind. She stood up and paid her respects, "Brother in law, I do have an awkward request."

"Please, sister-in-law, go ahead and tell me."

Lady Wen bit her lip, her head lowered even more, her voice softer, "If it's convenient for Brother in law, I would like to trouble you to take Tiantian to see his father when you go to Xiguan Pass."

Yan Ge, Yan Xiaojing, and Madam Yan were all stunned, but after a moment's thought, they didn't find it surprising. As Yan Xiaojing's wife, it was only natural for Lady Wen to worry about him and want her husband to meet his son.

However, Yan Xiaojing quickly refused, "No. The Emperor's tour and leisure are just a pretext; there must be official business involved. How can they take a child who is not even two years old?"

Lady Wen suddenly knelt down, "Father-in-law, Tiantian is very well-behaved, and he has always been close to Brother In law. I believe he won't cause any trouble for the Emperor and Brother in law."

Madam Yan was also moved, "Old master, I think our daughter-in-law's idea is good." Serving at the border is dangerous. Letting Yan Su see his son and having a constant reminder of his family waiting for him in the capital might keep him safe.

"I said it's not allowed, and it's not allowed. How can official and personal matters be mixed?" Yan Xiaojing frowned.

Lady Wen spoke softly but resolutely, "Master, how can your daughter-in-law bear to let Tiantian leave her side? But just like my mother-in-law, I also worry about my husband. That's why I asked Brother in law to take Tiantian to the northwest, hoping that my husband will always remember he has his family no matter what he encounters. With the Emperor on the tour, he will surely bring skilled guards, so we don't need to worry about Tiantian's safety. Moreover, Tiantian is easy to handle and is close to Brother in law. He won't cause any trouble for the Emperor and Brother in law."

"That's right, Master." Madam Yan nodded repeatedly, "I think it's a good idea."

Yan Xiaojing still frowned, "That's from a woman's perspective!"

Yan Ge interjected, "Father, Mother, Sister-in-law, there's no inconvenience for Yuchen and me. If you all feel at ease, then I'll take Tiantian with us."

Madam Yan and Lady Wen were overjoyed.

Yan Xiaojing also thought Lady Wen's reasoning made sense, as a father, he was also concerned about Yan Su but he didn't want to inconvenience the Emperor. But since Yan Ge said there's no problem, he didn't oppose further.

Tiantian may be young, but he was in good health, and there was no need to worry about him enduring a long journey. So, the decision was settled.

Huangfu Yuchen learned about this matter and had no objections. Can he oppose the decision of his beloved's family? It was just a matter of arranging additional manpower. When Yan Ge and he were unavailable, they could take care of Yan Xiangtian on their behalf.

Five days later, Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun dressed in special forces attire and headed to the west gate of the city to meet with other members of the special forces.

The special forces wore camouflage uniform. Yan Ge was already handsome, and wearing the camouflage uniform made him even more heroic and charismatic. Huangfu Yuchen could hardly take his eyes off him.

Huangfu Yuchen, on the other hand, was also imposing in his camouflage attire. His cold and majestic aura was now mixed with determination and ruggedness, making him extremely charming. Yan Ge stared at him for a long time, feeling more satisfied the more he looked.

On this journey, they attracted attention wherever they went.

The idea of the special forces was, of course, Yan Ge's. The members of the special forces were carefully selected from soldiers all over the Kingdom, and their training methods were almost the same as those of the modern special forces that Yan Ge knew, if not more rigorous.

This time, there were a total of twenty people heading to the northwest to carry out their mission, all carefully chosen experts. Yan Ge and his companions were added later, but even with their impressive backgrounds, they couldn't take up the spots of other soldiers. So, the total number of this team was twenty-four.

The captain, Wei Hao, had encountered Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen before. However, they were in disguise and it had been quite some time, so Wei Hao didn't recognize them.

Traveling together with their cavalry was another group, apparently heading to the northwest to visit relatives. This group seemed to have official background, and before departing, Wei Hao received orders to take care of this group along the way.

It was evident that the other team was the one arranged by Huangfu Yuchen to take care of Yan Xiangtian. The convoy consisted of a total of eight people, including Yan Jin, Yan Xiangtian, Yan Jin's wet nurse, Auntie Zhai, the maid Qing Xue, and four skilled guards. Except for Yan Xiangtian and Auntie Zhai, the other six were all skilled experts. This arrangement provided better security for Yan Xiangtian's safety.

The two teams continued their rapid pace, stopping only for a nearly half-hour lunch break. They hardly paused until the sun began to set. Wei Hao finally halted the horses and glanced back at the forest.

"Halt—"

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen also signaled for Bai Guan and Yunyi(their horses) to stop.

"It's getting late. We will camp here for the night and continue our journey early tomorrow morning," Wei Hao said.

"Yes!"

Twenty special forces soldiers dismounted without leaving any traces and observed Yan Ge and the others. They couldn't detect any signs of fatigue on their faces and were somewhat surprised. These four people managed to join their team through the backdoor, and unexpectedly, two of them possessed genuine skills.

To avoid attracting attention, the two teams kept a distance between them but maintained visual contact with each other.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen found a place to sit down casually, with Gao Feng and Gao Yun naturally staying by their side.

Wei Hao's group also sat down, resting and taking out the food they carried with them. Though the weather was hot, the fruits and cakes they brought from the capital were still fresh enough, thanks to the short journey. In the future, if they couldn't find a town, they'd have to eat dry rations or hunt for food. Dry rations were simply dehydrated food, such as dried steam bums, bread, or biscuits, which could be preserved for a long time and were easy to carry. They'd chew on them dry or soak them in water before eating.

Based solely on their seating positions, Yan Ge noticed that his group of four of was somewhat excluded. This exclusion wasn't necessarily intentional but rather an unconscious and natural reaction from the others towards outsiders.

He glanced at Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen was a reserved person. As long as Yan Ge cared for him, that was enough for him, and he didn't care much about others. He was sipping water with indifference.

Yan Ge leaned close to his ear and said seriously, "If you were born in an ordinary family and had to study or work with others, your social skills would definitely be poor."

Huangfu Yuchen shrugged, "It doesn't matter. As long as your social skills are good."

Yan Ge shook his head and took out a fragrant egg pancake from his bag, then walked over to Wei Hao.

The other special forces members looked up at him.

"Captain, brothers. This is a scallion and egg pancake prepared for me by my family. If you don't mind, feel free to try some." Yan Ge said with a smile.

Wei Hao took the pancake, somewhat surprised, "This egg pancake seems to have a faint cold aura."

Yan Ge said, "The weather is too hot. I'm afraid the egg pancake might spoil, so I brought some ice with me."

"I see."

Wei Hao distributed the egg pancakes to the others, and they all took a bite. The pancakes were soft and flavorful.

"Did you notice? There seems to be a hint of chicken flavor in this egg pancake." One of the special forces members said to another.

"Yes, it's true. It's quite delicious."

As the saying goes, a soft mouth and a hard heart. The atmosphere became slightly more relaxed.

A tall and sturdy special forces member asked Yan Ge, "The four of you seem to know each other. Are you from the same place?"

Yan Ge replied, "Yes, we were all in the same military camp before. I'm Qin Xiaosa, he's Yu Xiaoyao, and the other two are Liu Tian and Liu Di. How should I address you, Big Brother?"

"Meng Gang."

Yan Ge greeted him with a salute, "So you're Big Brother Meng. Please take care of us on this journey."

"No problem." Meng Gang was also straightforward.

Yan Ge smiled at everyone and returned to Huangfu Yuchen's side.

Huangfu Yuchen handed him a water pouch and an egg pancake, "Eat up."

"Okay." Yan Ge secretly used his spiritual sense to check on Yan Xiangtian inside the carriage. Although he was separated from his mother, with his familiar nursemaid by his side, the little guy seemed to be adapting well and was sleeping soundly in her arms.

They would have to eat dry rations from tomorrow onwards.

Yan Ge suddenly thought of compressed biscuits, and both of his eyes curved into a smile.

"What are you thinking about again?" Huangfu Yuchen found it amusing.

"It's a secret." Yan Ge smirked.

Huangfu Yuchen touched the back of his neck.

Seeing the intimate gesture between the two, the other special forces members realized their relationship and their impression of the two worsened a bit. They were here for a mission in the northwest, not for romantic affairs. Even if they were in a relationship, they should be more restrained.

Yan Ge pushed Huangfu Yuchen's hand away, signaling him to look at the others.

Huangfu Yuchen could only shake his head helplessly.

"We caught a deer!" Gao Feng and Gao Yun came out of the woods with excitement. Gao Feng was carrying a deer weighing about thirty to forty kilograms, while Gao Yun had a bundle of firewood. Although their masters seemed uninterested in food, as their subordinates, they couldn't just watch the two masters eat dry rations. So, after getting Wei Hao's permission, they looked around and managed to hunt something.

The two didn't know how to address Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen appropriately, so they refrained from using any titles.

"It's quite big," Yan Ge walked over, "I happen to have some seasonings. Xiao Yao, you come and roast it."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded, looking at the pile of firewood, and said to Gao Feng and Gao Yun, "The deer is too big; this wood is not enough. Go and collect some more."

"We'll do that right away." Gao Feng and Gao Yun were eager to taste Huangfu Yuchen's cooking skills, so they quickly went to collect more firewood.

Yan Ge took out the seasonings and handed them to Huangfu Yuchen, but suddenly, his legs were wrapped in a small force. He looked down and saw it was Yan Xiangtian.

Yan Xiangtian's maid, Qing Xue, was following closely behind.

Yan Ge smiled and lifted Yan Xiangtian. He was a bit surprised. He had changed his appearance, so could it be that the little guy still recognized him by his scent?

Yan Xiangtian glanced at him but didn't make a sound, curiously watching the ignited bonfire.

"Little brother!" Yan Jin took the opportunity to run over. He then smiled at Yan Ge.

"Want to eat." Yan Xiangtian pointed to the prey in Huangfu Yuchen's hand, his voice tender and adorable.

Yan Ge chuckled, "You only have a few teeth."

Yan Xiangtian grinned and opened his small mouth, "I have many."

Yan Ge put him down and handed him a piece of beef jerky.

Yan Xiangtian was easy to please, sitting obediently on the ground and happily biting the jerky. His chubby cheeks swelled as he chewed, and droplets of saliva occasionally dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Yan Ge and Yan Jin watched, laughing heartily beside him.

After an arduous journey of over half a month, Yan Ge and the others finally arrived in the northwest.

Wei Hao turned back to the group and said, "Our destination is not far ahead. Everyone change into your regular clothes and hurry to the city before it gets dark."

"Yes!"

Yan Ge and the other three intentionally or unintentionally stayed at the back of the group. For some unknown reason, they couldn't quite integrate into the close-knit special forces team for some reason. They didn't insist on it either, as long as they could participate in the mission; everything else was secondary.

With a mixture of fast and slow travel, they managed to reach the city before the gates were closed.

Once inside the city, Yan Jin's group separated from the others and found an inn to stay. They planned to reunite after Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen completed their mission and head to the Xiguan Pass together.

The special forces team stayed in a different inn.

Wei Hao had booked the entire inn and said solemnly, "From now on, no one is allowed to go out alone. Stay in pairs and keep an eye on each other."

To maintain secrecy, Yan Ge didn't ask Huangfu Yuchen about the details of their mission. However, upon hearing Wei Hao's instructions, he immediately understood that this mission must be of great importance.

"Meng Gang and Zhang Qiao will team up; Huang Hui and Jason will be a team…"

Yan Ge's team was split into different groups.

Wei Hao continued, "I've instructed the innkeeper to prepare meals. Rest in your rooms for a while and gather here for dinner later."

"Yes!"

After leaving Wei Hao's room, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged glances and entered their respective rooms. This was the first time they had to sleep separately on a mission, and it felt a bit strange, but they quickly found it amusing. After all, it was just one night apart, right?

"You and that brother don't seem like typical special forces soldiers," Zhou Zheng who was lying on the opposite bed with his eyes closed suddenly spoke.

Yan Ge remained composed. "We made Brother Zhou laugh. We haven't been in the military for long."

"I see," Zhou Zheng commented noncommittally, then added, "This mission is very dangerous. I hope you won't hinder us when the time comes."

Yan Ge didn't mind his words. The four of them hadn't trained together with the others, so it was understandable that they hadn't seen their capabilities and were worried about that.

"Your observation and judgment skills still need improvement."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Zheng abruptly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling and waiting for his response.

Yan Ge said, "It's just a casual remark, Brother Zhou. Don't take them to heart."

Then, a muffled and intermittent knocking sound came from the wall. Yan Ge couldn't help but smile and knocked back a few times.

The knocking sound from the next room repeated.

Yan Ge chuckled and responded again.

Zhou Zheng looked at him suspiciously. "Are you communicating with them?"

"Yes, different knocking patterns represent different meanings," Yan Ge explained briefly then stood up. "Let's go. It's time for dinner."

They both walked out of the room, and as expected, others from different rooms also emerged, getting ready to gather in Wei Hao's room.

Huangfu Yuchen stood at the doorway of the adjacent room, smiling at Yan Ge.

Zhou Zheng immediately understood that they were "communicating" earlier.

Meng Gang teased Yan Ge and Zhou Zheng, "I was about to call you both, and here you are. Could it be that you smelled the aroma of the food?"

"Yes. After traveling for more than ten days, we can finally sit down and have a proper meal. Of course, we want to hurry," Yan Ge replied with a smile.

Zhou Zheng glanced at Yan Ge without saying anything.

Everyone entered Wei Hao's room. Wei Hao asked Meng Gang to close the doors and windows and then said, "Perhaps you all know that the border between Great Han and the Mai Kingdom is very long, and not every border area has stationed troops. The garrisons guard the vulnerable border areas, while the relatively difficult-to-attack areas have no military presence. Dujiaping city is one such place. It borders the Mai Kingdom's Zhuomudian City to the west. Recently, a group of one hundred cavalry bandits suddenly appeared in the Mai Kingdom. They frequently cross the border, causing trouble in our border towns, committing murders, arson, and robberies. They always succeed and then disappear before our official troops arrive. General Cao at Xig Pass has confronted the Mai Kingdom garrison about this, but they gave excuses, claiming that these bandits also rob their villages and that they are helpless. It's truly infuriating!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with indignation and anger.

Meng Gang had with a fiery temper and stood up abruptly, his voice full of rage. "Since they can't control their own people, we'll do it for them!"

"That's right!" The other special forces members echoed in agreement.

Wei Hao nodded, speaking in a cold tone, "Our mission this time is to eliminate this cavalry unit, and we must do it covertly, making the Mai Kingdom uncertain if it was the work of Great Han."

"Zhuomudian is like the heartland of Mai Kingdom's border regions. By annihilating these bandits in Zhuomudian, it's like stabbing them in the heart, severely crippling and intimidating them!"

Huang Huike said objectively, "They have a hundred men, and we have only twenty-four. We must have a suitable plan. If we confront them head-on, it's probably going to be difficult to retreat safely."

Wei Hao looked around at everyone. "It all depends on our strength. We are all elite soldiers selected from the special forces, and I want to see how strong we really are. I also want to hand in a satisfactory answer to our superiors. What about all of you?"

Everyone's morale soared as they replied in unison, "We're the same!"

Wei Hao said, "If we delay for one more day, the nearby civilians will suffer for another day. Let's all rest well tonight and assemble precisely at the hour of Yin tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Wei Hao added, "Let's eat."

Everyone picked up their bowls and started eating. Soldiers ate quickly, as if it were a competition.

Yan Ge and the other three stood out even more among the group. They exchanged glances and hurriedly picked up their eating pace.

Wei Hao frowned slightly. These four didn't look like soldiers at all, especially Qin Xiaosha and Yu Xiaoyao. They had the demeanor of noble young masters from prestigious families.

After everyone finished eating, Wei Hao said, "Go back and rest early."

Yan Ge and the others left the room, and their temporary roommates followed them. The rest of the group dawdled.

Once Yan Ge's group had left, Jiasen said, "Captain, who are these four exactly? This mission is extremely dangerous, and if they end up causing trouble…"

Zhang Qiao dismissed his concern, "Since they came, they should know the mission's dangers. I don't think we need to worry."

Wei Hao pondered for a moment, "In that case, tonight…"

Once back in his room, Yan Ge freshened up and climbed into bed. The summer nights in the northwest were peculiar—scorching during the day but pleasantly cool at night, making it comfortable to lie in bed without feeling stifled by the heat.

It didn't take long after Zhou Zheng lay down that he began snoring.

Yan Ge, who was used to sleeping with Huangfu Yuchen nearby—able to rest his head on him, press him down, or hold him in his arms—had a hard time falling asleep. He stared blankly for a while and tried to lull himself to sleep by counting, "One Yuchen, two Yuchen, three Yuchen, four Yuchen…"

After counting for a while, he dozed off in a daze. However, he was awakened by a slight clicking sound outside. He opened his eyes and, with the faint moonlight, vaguely saw someone gently opening the window. A hidden weapon whizzed in and shot towards his bed.

Yan Ge quickly grabbed the canopy and wrapped the hidden weapon in it. Zhou Zheng continued to sleep soundly, unaware of the situation. Yan Ge raised an eyebrow, and a figure in white dashed out of the window like a streak of light.

Under the moonlight, a dark figure was fleeing rapidly into the distance.

Yan Ge leaped onto the rooftop. He took three or four steps before landing in front of the fleeing figure, blocking their path.

The figure was dressed in dark night clothes, with a black face mask concealing their features. In their right hand, they held a knife, glinting in the moonlight. They narrowed their eyes, then swung the knife towards Yan Ge.

The two started fighting on the deserted street.

After approximately a hundred moves, Yan Ge lifted his right foot and kicked the knife out of the figure's hand.

The figure was startled and immediately turned to flee.

Yan Ge didn't chase after them, letting out a yawn before effortlessly jumping back into the room through the window, lying down, and falling back to sleep.

In the darkness, Zhou Zheng opened his eyes, closed them again after a while, and went back to sleep.

At the third hour of the tiger (around 3 a.m.), it was still pitch black outside. The twenty-four people gathered in Wei Hao's room, their eyes shifting from Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Gao Feng, to Gao Yun's faces. Last night, Wei Hao arranged for four people to test these four individuals. Although they looked nothing like soldiers, their martial arts skills were impressive, and the likelihood of them being a burden was extremely low, which put Wei Hao at ease. From the fact that Yan Ge and the others didn't harm those who were testing them, Wei Hao deduced that they had realized it was his attempt and they all tacitly chose not to say more about it.

Wei Hao turned and walked to the door, gesturing for them to follow.

He led them to the end of the first floor and pushed open a door, illuminating the room with a flint. Inside the room were twenty-four camouflage-colored equipment bags, each containing various portable weapons, rations, water bags, and more. Most of it had been prepared in advance by another team.

"Take your gear and get ready to move out."

The twenty-four people left the inn and silently and swiftly moved towards a distant location in the night.

After about an hour of marching forward, they entered a dense forest, and Wei Hao stopped.

"We are now inside the territory of the Mai Kingdom. About four or five kilometers to the west, there's a small gorge about half a kilometer long. It's the only passage for the bandits to cross the border. The gorge is flanked by thick woods and intertwining vines, making it an excellent spot for us to conceal ourselves."

"Captain, how did you know about this?" Huang Hui asked.

Wei Hao replied succinctly, "Another team scouted the route in advance to save us time. The shorter the time we spend in Dujiaping, the less likely it is for the Mai Kingdom to suspect us."

"Understood."

"Now, let's have breakfast first and then continue forward," Wei Hao said.

Eating breakfast in the gorge might leave food crumbs and arouse suspicion from the bandits. Everyone understood this logic and silently had their breakfast.

Inside the dense forest, it was stuffy and hot. Wei Hao wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Let's keep going."

When they arrived at the small gorge, the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

After positioning everyone for the ambush, Wei Hao walked back and forth in the gorge to ensure there were no suspicious traces before stealthily hiding in the lush grass.

Yan Ge lay on the ground, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. An ant slowly crawled towards him, seemingly intending to climb onto his head. He exhaled a breath and blew it far away.

Huangfu Yuchen was lying not far away, and a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

"Yuchen, does this bandit cavalry raid our territory every day? What if they don't show up today?" Yan Ge transmitted his voice to Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen replied, "I sent a secret message with a deadly ultimatum. The longer this drags on, the more unfavorable it becomes. If they don't show up today, Wei Hao will most likely decide to infiltrate the city of Zhuomudian."

Yan Ge asked, "Let's hope they do show up. This is a perfect ambush spot. It would be great to catch them all at once."

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Mai kingdom's staple foods are noodles and meat. They like our rice, but their kingdom is not suitable for rice cultivation, and they don't want to spend money to buy it. So, they can only resort to stealing. They should show up."

The bandit cavalry captain was called Mai Maijiang. He rode a tall and sturdy horse, leading a hundred cavalrymen into the depths of the forest at a leisurely pace. Mai Maijiang had a tiger-like back and a bear-like waist, with only one eye; the other eye was covered by a black eye patch. Despite this, the cold light emanating from his intact eye still sent shivers down people's spines.

"Ke Mu, Chen Mujiang."

"Yes, boss!" Ke Mu and Chen Mujiang spurred their horses forward, heading towards the small gorge. The terrain of the small gorge was suitable for an ambush. Every time they traveled to Great Han, they would send scouts in advance to prevent any ambushes.

"Boss, this is really unnecessary. We've checked so many times. Have we ever found anyone ambushing there?" Ke Mu said, "The people of Great Han are all cowards and wouldn't dare to resist. Hahaha…"

"That's right," Chen Mujiang agreed, "The small gorge is our territory. Do you think people from Great Han would dare to come here?"

Despite their words, both of them didn't dare to disobey Mai Maijiang's orders and came to the small gorge. They glanced around carelessly but found nothing. They rode their horses back and reported to Mai Maijiang.

"Boss, it's clear."

Mai Maijiang nodded and spurred his horse forward, with others following quickly. The heavy and powerful sound of hooves startled the birds, and the rustling of leaves echoed.

The special forces lurking at the mouth of the West Gorge immediately sent word of the approaching sound of hooves using hand signals to others.

Zhou Zheng was hiding in a tree, arrow ready on the bowstring, prepared to shoot at any moment.

Mai Maijiang and his men entered the small gorge without noticing anything. As the last cavalryman also entered the gorge, two special forces members pushed a boulder down the slope, blocking their retreat. At the mouth of the East Gorge, Meng Gang did the same, obstructing their path. The one-hundred-strong cavalry unit was now trapped in the narrow gorge, and the frantic neighing of horses filled the air.

Mai Maijiang's expression changed drastically as he shouted, "It's an ambush!"

Zhou Zheng aimed his arrow at Mai Maijiang, and the arrow shot out like lightning, accurately hitting Mai Maijiang's chest.

Before Mai Maijiang could even speak, he fell off his horse.

"Neigh!" His horse neighed and rushed forward.

With Mai Maijiang dead, chaos broke out among the cavalry. Countless arrows shot out from all directions, raining down on them.

"Who is it? Show yourself if you dare!" Ke Mu swept the surroundings with his knife, scolding loudly, but he couldn't even spot a shadow.

The camouflage clothing of Great Han played a significant role, blending in with the leaves and making it difficult to detect their hiding spots.

The deputy leader Mu Suoli took cover behind a protrusion, shouting loudly, "Everyone, don't panic!"

The well-trained and powerful cavalry unit soon regained their composure and the battle inside the small gorge intensified.

"Make sure to guard both sides of the gorge's mouth. Don't let anyone escape!" After instructing Meng Gang Aand Huang Hui, Wei Hao jumped down the slope and joined the fierce fight.

The people of Mai kingdom, having grown up on the grasslands, had robust physiques and strong muscles, making their external martial arts formidable. One punch could crush a person's chest.

The soldiers of Great Han excelled in agility, and if they possessed inner strength, their movements would be even more agile. One could imagine how intense the battle was.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun released several cold arrows from the shadows before leaping down from the trees to join the fight.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen wanted to see the skills of these special forces and didn't reveal themselves for the time being.

In the corner of his eye, Yan Ge saw a wounded bandit trying to sneak into the forest to escape. He quietly took out a hidden weapon, ready to shoot, but unintentionally noticed a hornet's nest the size of a melon hanging from a tree beside the cavalryman, weighing over ten jin.

He cunningly curled up his lips, raised his hand, and the hidden weapon hit the hornet's nest with a "pop." Suddenly, countless angry bees flew out of the nest and swarmed the bandit, covering his face almost entirely.

"Ah! Get away!" The bandit screamed in agony, frantically waving his sleeves, but protecting his face left his arms exposed. In no time, he was covered with stings and passed out.

Despite being foolish, Ke Mu was skilled in external martial arts, and his attacks were ruthless and fierce, exuding killing intent with every move. His curved knife left a horrifying gash on Zhang Qiao's back, with flesh and skin protruding, almost revealing the bone.

Zhang Qiao groaned in pain, cold sweat breaking out all over his body, but he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out. He knelt on one knee, but refused to collapse.

Ke Mu laughed triumphantly and stepped forward, raising his knife to cut off Zhang Qiao's head.

Wei Hao shouted loudly, lunged forward, and fiercely blocked the curved knife.

Ke Mu shouted, "Brothers, attack! There are only twenty-something of them!"

The morale of the cavalry unit rose, and they charged forward fearlessly to besiege Wei Hao and the others.

Wei Hao killed two people while fighting Ke Mu. At the same time, he subtly led Ke Mu up the slope. Ke Mu was so focused on killing these people that he didn't notice anything amiss.

After a few more moves, Wei Hao and the others darted into the thickets like arrows.

Ke Mu was shocked and quickly looked around, but he had indeed lost sight of Wei Hao.

Ke Mu swung his knife randomly towards the bushes, "If you want to fight, then fight openly. What kind of heroes sneak around like this?"

Unbeknownst to Ke Mu, Wei Hao quietly stood up behind him and thrust his knife into his back.

Ke Mu's facial muscles twitched violently, and he hurriedly turned to defend.

"What makes you bunch of shameless villains who do all kinds of evil qualified to fight openly?" Wei Hao taunted and engaged Ke Mu in battle once again.

Zhou Zheng was surrounded and forced to retreat by three bandits. One of them grinned smugly, raised his knife, and aimed at Zhou Zheng's back.

With nowhere to advance or retreat, Zhou Zheng was about to be attacked when a green and unripe fruit flew out of the bushes and struck the acupoint of the bandit. The bandit was instantly immobilized.

Zhou Zheng glanced at the thicket and turned around. In a swift move, he killed the immobilized bandit.

At this moment, there were still over twenty bandits left. The special forces were in a sorry state, with their camouflage clothing either torn with large gashes or covered in dirt. However, their morale remained unwavering, and they fought even more bravely.

Yan Ge said to Huangfu Yuchen, "It's our turn to take action. If you don't, others will criticize us."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded.

The two of them leaped from the bushes, swiftly taking down four bandits with just a few strikes.

This greatly relieved the pressure on the other special forces members. After about a quarter of an hour of intense fighting, the remaining bandits were all eliminated.

Jiasen sat on the ground, clutching his wound as he looked at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen mockingly, "You finally came out? I thought you would stay hidden like turtles!"

Gao Feng and Gao Yun's expressions changed drastically as they both sternly scolded him, "Impudent!"

Jiasen was startled by the stern reprimand from the two of them, but he provocatively raised an eyebrow, "What? Is what I said not true?"

Huangfu Yuchen's cold gaze pierced into Jiasen's eyes, causing the latter to break out in cold sweat.

Yan Ge held Huangfu Yuchen's hand and shook his head.

Huangfu Yuchen stared at Jiasen and calmly spoke, "Why don't you think about what your fate would have been if the four of us hadn't come?"

Jiasen was speechless.

Wei Hao stood up and said, "Enough, let's not say anything more. Qin Xiaosa and Yu Xiaoyao didn't take action at the beginning, but we have to admit that it was thanks to them lurking in the shadows that we were able to ambush the bandit calvary."

"That's right, we're all brothers, so let's not dwell on it," Meng Gang also intervened to mediate.

Wei Hao continued, "Brothers, let's first count the number of bandits and make sure they are all dead, with none escaping."

"Yes!"

Several uninjured special forces members spread out to count the bodies and to make sure they were all dealt with by striking their vital points to prevent any chances of escape. Others took out medical kits and treated each other's wounds to prevent infection.

Wei Hao secretly observed Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. The remark "impudent" from Gao Feng and Gao Yun made him curious. Who exactly are these two? He was certain that Qin Xiaosa and Yu Xiaoyao didn't refrain from action at the beginning due to cowardice but for some other reason, not just for the element of surprise. However, he couldn't figure out what that reason might be.

Huang Hui approached and reported, "Captain, it's exactly one hundred men, not one escaped."

"Good," Wei Hao said, "Clean up all traces of our presence."

"Yes!"

After dealing with the aftermath, the group finally left the small gorge. The bodies of the bandits were left where they were; they would be discovered by the people from the Mai Kingdom eventually.

Upon returning to the inn, Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun cleaned up and changed into regular clothes before entering Wei Hao's room.

"Are you leaving?" Wei Hao asked knowingly.

"Indeed. We came to bid farewell to Captain Wei," Yan Ge replied.

Wei Hao nodded.

"When do you plan to return to the capital?" Huangfu Yuchen asked.

"We'll leave today," Wei Hao answered.

Yan Ge clasped his fists and said, "I wish you all a safe journey. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again," Wei Hao responded.

After Yan Ge and his group left the inn, they went to meet Yan Jin.

Yan Jin was pacing at the entrance of the inn, but when he saw them, he quickly approached.

"Father, you're back! Come and see Tiantian," Yan Jin said eagerly.

"What happened to Tiantian?" Yan Ge asked worriedly.

"He seems to have realized that his mother has left him. He silently sheds tears, but he doesn't cry out. It's so distressing to watch," Yan Jin shook his head.

"I see. As long as he's not sick, it's fine," Yan Ge sighed with relief, walking faster. He also transformed back into his original appearance after making sure no one was around.

As they entered the room, Yan Xiangtian, who was being hugged by the nurse, noticed them and tearfully called out, "Uncle…"

Yan Ge immediately picked him up and comforted, "There, there, don't cry. Uncle is here."

The little one's sobbing turned into laughter as he wrapped his little arm around Yan Ge's neck and gently pulled at his hair, amusing himself and forgetting his previous distress.

Yan Ge chuckled, wiping away the tears. He took out some tasty snacks and fruits from the system's backpack, placing them in a delicate bamboo basket on the bed.

"Little Jin, you can feed Tiantian with a spoon if he wants to eat fruits," Yan Ge instructed.

"I understand," Yan Jin replied.

Huangfu Yuchen stood by the window, looking out at the street absentmindedly.

"What are you thinking about?" Yan Ge walked over and hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "I'm thinking, if we could hire martial artists from the martial world to teach the soldiers in the military camp, would they be willing to do it?"

Yan Ge's eyes lit up, "That's a good idea! However, martial artists from the martial world seem to naturally avoid mingling with the imperial court's people. It might not be easy to persuade them."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded in agreement, "But the court has never targeted martial artists from the martial world these years. I believe it's worth a try. There will always be someone willing among a thousand people."

"I support you!" Yan Ge encouraged, planting a kiss on his cheek. Leaning against the window, he continued, "Today, I carefully observed the bandit cavalry from the Mai Kingdom. Perhaps due to growing up on the grasslands, their physical strength is generally stronger than our soldiers. Leaving aside the special forces, if the ordinary soldiers from the Mai Kingdom and our ordinary soldiers were to fight one on one, our soldiers might not be their match."

Huangfu Yuchen admitted, "That's why I thought of using the martial artists' help. But I still need to think about the specifics."

"I just want to remind you that no matter what approach you take, don't hurt the martial artists' pride," Yan Ge cautioned.

"I will be careful," Huangfu Yuchen turned around and kissed him back. "I'll let you know when I've thought it through, and you can give me your input."

"No problem."

After finishing lunch, Gao Feng prepared the carriage, and the group set out after reestablishing their disguises and left the city.

Wei Hao and his team also planned to leave. They coincidentally saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen riding horses alongside a familiar carriage, confirming their previous guess—they were indeed together.

"I didn't inform my big brother about coming to Xiguan Pass, nor that I was coming with Tiantian. I bet he will be very surprised," Yan Ge laughed while riding on the horse.

Huangfu Yuchen replied, "If you hadn't told him about his wife giving birth to a son for him, he would have been even more shocked."

"That's impossible. Even if I didn't tell him, my parents would," Yan Ge said.

The journey was smooth, and five days later, the group arrived at Xiguan Pass.

Before they even got closer, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen saw a massive stone statue facing east at the city gate, about four or five people tall. Several soldiers dressed in armor stood proudly, some wielding long spears, some mounted on warhorses with raised swords as if they were about to fight to the death. Their unwavering gazes stared straight ahead, earning them great respect from the people. Almost every citizen entering the city would fold their hands and bow before passing through the gate.

Huangfu Yuchen expressed satisfaction, saying, "Cao Zhan did a good job."

"The changes in the city must be even more significant," Yan Ge commented.

"We have arrived at last," Yan Jin hopped off the carriage, "Father, can we stay longer in the city this time? The rushed journey was so boring."

Yan Ge also dismounted, "We can stay longer this time. Auntie Zhai, is Tiantian awake?"

"Little Young Master just woke up and is hungry now," Auntie Zhai replied from inside the carriage.

"Let him eat first."

The group lined up and entered the city. The changes inside the city were indeed substantial, it had become much more bustling since their last visit. The streets were filled with people and carriages, and the vendors' voices calling out their goods were constant.

The lifelike sculptures occasionally seen on the streets had become a unique feature of Xiguan Pass.

Gao Feng took the lead and found an inn. After everyone freshened up, they proceeded to General Cao's mansion.

Yan Xiangtian was led by Yan Jin, walking slowly as he looked around curiously. Everything around him seemed novel and exciting.

At the entrance of the General's mansion, four soldiers stood guard.

Gao Feng approached them, saying, "Brothers, could you please announce that General Cao's old friends, Master and Madam Fang have come to visit?"

"Please wait a moment," one of the soldiers turned and ran inside.

After a short while, Cao Zhan hurried out and was startled to see Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. He quickly approached and bowed, "Young Master Fang, Madam Fang, please come in!"

Once they entered the hall, Cao Zhan lifted his robes and knelt down.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor! Greetings to Yan Guiqing!" he greeted Huangfu Yuchen and then turned to Yan Ge, "Please forgive me for not welcoming you promptly. I had no idea when His Majesty and Yan Caiqing would grace us with their presence. I beg Your Majesty's pardon!"

"Uninformed people cannot be blamed. There's no need to apologize," Huangfu Yuchen said. "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cao Zhan stood to the side.

Yan Ge asked, "General Cao, do you know how my elder brother is doing lately?"

In response, Cao Zhan said, "Master Yan is doing well. Not long ago, he was promoted to the rank of military officer. Apart from me and Feng Zhun, no one else knows his true identity. His promotion to military officer was solely based on his own efforts."

Military officer? Yan Ge looked to Huangfu Yuchen for clarification.

Huangfu Yuchen patted his head and explained, "In short, a military officer is responsible for managing an army, which consists of five divisions and a total of 12,500 soldiers."

"I see." Yan Ge felt happy for Yan Su's progress and said, "Please ask General Cao to inform him of my arrival. Since he wants to conceal his identity, let him come to Rongchang Inn to see me."

"Yes, I will arrange for someone to do so," Cao Zhan replied.

"Yuchen, you can discuss official matters with General Cao. I'll return to the inn first," Yan Ge told Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen nodded.

Yan Ge then took Yan Xiangtian and Yan Jin back to the inn.

"Tiantian, you'll soon meet your father. Are you excited?" Yan Ge teased Yan Xiangtian.

"Excited!" Though Yan Xiangtian had never met Yan Su, his family often mentioned "father" to him, so the word was not unfamiliar.

Shortly after, someone knocked on the door.

Yan Ge opened it, and a young man with a copper-colored complexion and stubble around his mouth walked in with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Second Brother!"

"Big Brother."

The two brothers embraced each other.

Yan Ge looked Yan Su up and down, smiling, "You have completely become a military officer now. I fear that when you return home, our father and mother wouldn't be able to recognize you."

The previous Yan Su, while not quite described as weak and bookish, had an air of scholarly refinement. However, the Yan Su before him now had been tempered by the military camp, exhibiting a strong physique and a chilling aura, exuding the atmosphere of a seasoned soldier.

Yan Su also smiled, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. How are Father and Mother?"

"They're both doing well, as is my sister-in-law." Yan Ge teased him.

Yan Su sighed lightly, "I owe her an apology."

"Don't worry, she doesn't feel that way. Here, take this."

Yan Su was about to ask "what," when he suddenly found something soft in his arms. He looked down and suddenly met a pair of innocent, grape-like black eyes, and he froze in surprise.

"This, this… this is, is…" He unconsciously loosened his grip, awkwardly holding Yan Xiangtian and speaking incoherently, fearing that he had guessed wrong.

Yan Ge nodded with a smile.

"My son!" Yan Su lifted the little one up, tears in his eyes, "He's my son! He looks exactly like me!"

Yan Ge found it amusing. He knew that at this moment, Yan Su probably couldn't hear any external sounds. Instead of getting involved in their exchange, he sat down and poured two cups of tea.

"Look at these eyes, they're just like mine; the forehead resembles mine; the nose too! Second Brother, do you see? Especially his chin, it's just like mine!"

Yan Su planted a kiss on Yan Xiangtian's tender face.

Unexpectedly being held in the arms of a stranger, Yan Xiangtian burst into tears. His face was also stung by the stubble, and he immediately vented in grievance, "Waa…"

"Hahaha! Even his loud voice is just like mine when I was a child!" Yan Su laughed heartily, "Son, I am your father! Give me a smile."

Yan Ge looked on with an expression of speechlessness. "He's not familiar with you yet; you shouldn't scare him."

"How could I scare him when I'm his father?" Yan Su evaded Yan Ge's hands and said, "Don't hold him; I'll familiarize myself with him."

"Uncle…" Yan Xiangtian pouted, his eyes following Yan Ge, and both chubby arms reached out to him, looking adorable and melting hearts.

Yan Ge knew that Yan Su had little time with his son, so he had to muster the heart to ignore Yan Xiangtian.

"Big Brother, take him outside for a walk and find some fun things to entertain him," Yan Ge suggested.

"Yes, that's a good idea." Yan Su held Yan Xiangtian and turned to leave.

Yan Ge instructed the maid that came with them, "Qing Xue, follow them discreetly and avoid showing yourself unless necessary."

"Yes."

After half an hour, Yan Su returned with Yan Xiangtian who was happily playing with a drum in his arms. It was evident that a certain bond had formed between father and son, perhaps due to a natural connection between them.

Yan Ge felt relieved.

"Second Brother, thank you," Yan Su expressed his gratitude. It would take at least half a month to travel from the capital to Xiguan Pass. During this time, his son not only didn't fall ill but also maintained his chubby arms and legs, making him look like a lotus root joint. This demonstrated how carefully and thoughtfully his younger brother took care of him. There were no words to describe how he grateful he was.

"There's no need for thanks between brothers." Yan Ge then asked about Yan Su's recent experiences.

Yan Su recounted everything. He had no reason to hide anything from Yan Ge; even the few minor injuries he had suffered, which were not mentioned in the letters, were shared.

If one wanted to climb up the ranks in the military camp, they could only rely on solid achievements, or else they wouldn't gain recognition. Since arriving at Xiguan Pass, he had participated in several operations against bandits and even engaged in a small-scale war with the Mai Kingdom, which had gradually led to his promotion to a military officer.